CBSA making changes as crime groups increase smuggling
A year in review from the Canada Border Services Agency in the Niagara region, in stopping illegal guns, drugs and criminals from entering the country.
Joe Doneff is Manager of Enforcement in Niagara Falls, and says in July they stopped almost $76,000 in proceeds of crime at the Rainbow bridge one day.
Then, there was an unclaimed bag of illegal guns on a bus at the Queenston-Lewiston bridge in September, likely to be picked up in Canada. "Sending contraband unaccompanied, carries its risks, I suppose it carries its rewards too. Our officers are trained to identify behaviours and look for indicators that someone could be smuggling."
He figures criminals could think removing a person from the chain could lead to higher success in smuggling.
However, he also says general traffic is up this year. "On the flip side of that, we aware the use of illegal firearms in Canada, in Ontario, is increasing. With that the risk posed by organized crime groups in moving firearms is increasing. We are moving ourselves to address that."
Overall, the CBSA intercepted over 3,000 weapons and guns, and 4-tonnes of illegal drugs at southern Ontario crossings, which includes Windsor, Sarnia, London, Fort Erie and Niagara Falls.
For a complete list of what officers caught, click here.
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